The invention relates generally to parachute deployment systems, and more particularly to a drogue equipped parachute deployment integrating main parachute container release and drogue parachute release systems.
Parachute systems often utilize drogue parachutes to both stabilize and slow the fall rate of heavy loads prior to deploying the main parachute. To open the main parachute of a drogue equipped parachute system, the trailing drogue is first released. This in turn, and separately, pulls a ripcord pin that allows the parachute container to open, and the main parachute to deploy. For a successful main parachute deployment, both the drogue release system and the main parachute container opening system must function in the correct order, and in rapid succession. However, because these two systems are typically separate systems, it is possible for one to function without the other, or to release in the wrong order. By way of example, it is dangerous for the drogue parachute to release or collapse without opening the main parachute container, or for the main parachute container to open without the drogue parachute being released or collapsed. The results of such out of sequence function is frequently fatal.
By way of further example, for typical tandem parachute systems, the drogue parachute is attached to the parachute system harness, either above or below the main parachute container as illustrated by wave example with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,084 to Strong. The release mechanism for the drogue parachute is typically a well known three ring release as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,913 to Booth, which release mechanism is separate and apart from the main parachute container closing system. Typically, the main parachute container is held closed by a pin which is connected to the drogue bridle or kill line. The drogue parachute is then separately attached to the parachute harness by the three ring release as disclosed, by way of example, in the above referenced Strong ""084 patent.
Typically, when the drogue parachute is deployed, jumpers are suspended from a point which is either above or below the main parachute container. This yields a drogue fall position that is either xe2x80x9chead highxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chead lowxe2x80x9d when compared to a desirable xe2x80x9cface the earthxe2x80x9d position. By way of example, when the drogue parachute is released, the pin on the drogue bridle opens the main parachute container as the drogue departs. The jumper releases the drogue and the drogue pulls the pin for opening the main parachute container as it departs. In addition to generally being complicated to assemble, existing known parachute systems are subject to inherent malfunctions, some fatal. By way of example, one malfunctions well known in the art of sky diving includes an out of sequence deployment where the main parachute container is opened accidentally while the drogue parachute is still attached or inflated. Typically, this results in a hard to deal with xe2x80x9chorseshoexe2x80x9d condition, which has been fatal in many incidents. There remains a need to guarantee a proper deployment sequencing of the drogue and main parachutes.
In addition to the releasing of the drogue parachute as above described and as illustrated with reference to the Strong ""084 patent, the drogue parachute also serves as a pilot parachute which deploys the main parachute when a desired altitude is reached. However, once the main parachute is opened, the aerodynamic drag of the drogue parachute reduces performance of the main parachute. To solve this performance problem, drogue parachutes have been designed to collapse a limited amount after the drogue is released from its function of slowing down the decent, or after the main parachute has been deployed. Typically, this is accomplish by inverting the apex of the drogue parachute using a kill line as described, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,969 to Gargano for a gliding parachute. the kill line travels through the center of the drogue canopy and is generally sandwiched between layers of webbing which form the drogue bridal. In typical parachute systems, the kill line and drogue bridle are not connected to each other at the main canopy end of the assembly. The bridal is connected either to the deployment bag, or to a release mechanism, or both, but not to the main parachute. The kill line is only connected to the main parachute. Typically, the kill line travels through the two later bridal as described in the Gargano ""969 patent for collapsing the pilot parachute to reduce drag on the main parachute to thereby improve the glide ratio of the main parachute. It is further well known in the art to use a metal ring attached to the of a drogue or pilot parachute. The ring and the bridle are free to move along the kill line as far as its own inertia will allow. Because of this, the amount of collapse must be limited by other means such as a bridal stop.
Such well-known designs present problems. By way of example, the entire deployment bag lift off load is taken by the kill line. If the kill line breaks, the drogue parachute is lost. Further, a kill line failure may foul deployment of the main parachute canopy possibly causing entanglement. During the drogue collapse sequence, the upper bridal stop near the apex of the drogue canopy forcibly strikes its base as it limits the drogue""s collapse, causing excess wear. During the collapse sequence, the released drogue bridal xe2x80x9cscrunches upxe2x80x9d causing a xe2x80x9cChinese finger lockxe2x80x9d styled configuration that then slides typically six to nine feet, and at a high speed, up the kill line causing excessive wear. Because the kill line is not directly connected to the drogue bridal at both ends, the drogue bridal can rotate around kill line during canopy descent. Such twists are often hard to detect and difficult untwist before the next use. If the twists are not removed before subsequent jumps, jumper injury and canopy damage may result, as well as decreased main parachute performance to drag. If the drogue is packed for another jump while still in its collapse position, it will not fully inflate in free fall. This can cause a higher free fall velocity, resulting less reliable and often harder parachute openings. This in turn can cause canopy damage and injury to the jumper, or jumpers in the case of a tandem system. The excess wear creates the need for costly drogue repairs.
Many more example of parachute system failures are documented and can be described resulting in the well known understanding that there continues to be a need in the art of sky diving to reduce parachute system failures and in particular, reduce fatalities in the business or the sport of sky diving. The present invention seeks to reduce parachute system failures and especially those which have been known to result in fatality for those parachute systems which employ a drogue parachute and the like.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide for a failure free release or collapse of a drogue parachute when the main parachute is deployed. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a safe parachute deployment system that will prevent well known skydiving fatalities such as those occurring from tandem parachuting incidents resulting from a broken closing loop; collapsed drogue in tow; deployed reserve parachute before breaking away main parachute; an improper drogue three ring assembly; no, late, or low pull of reserve parachute; main container opened on step or opened after exit; a mis-routed kill line; no drogue release; non-standard drogue release jammed; out of sequence deployment; packed high speed malfunction; rigging error; and use of an unapproved aircraft, by way of example. It is further an object to provide a desirable body position during drogue parachute deployment while the jumper is in free fall.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention are provided by a parachute system comprising a parachute container having a tray portion for packing a main parachute therein and a plurality of flaps operable therewith for enclosing the packed main parachute within the parachute container when the flaps are in a closed position. A bridle, including a stop carried at median portion thereof, has its proximal end operable with the main parachute and its distal end operable with a deceleration styled parachute, such as a drogue parachute, carried outside the parachute container. The bridle extends outwardly from Within the parachute container through the folded flaps for suspension of the parachute container by the deceleration styled parachute while the stop is secured within the parachute container by the flaps in the closed position. A closing member, such as a closing line loop, is connected to the flaps for holding them in the closed position and securing the stop and the packed parachute within the parachute container. A ripcord operates with the closing member for unlocking the flaps to release the stop and permit the bridle to pull the main parachute from the parachute container under a pulling force from the deceleration styled parachute, thus initiating deployment of the main parachute.
In one embodiment of the invention herein described, a plate is carried within the parachute container for receiving the bridle therethrough and securing the stop thereto when the flaps are in the closed position. Embodiment of the plate may include, by way of example, a disk having a tube extending therefrom and outwardly from the container through the plurality of flaps, or a stiffener portion of a deployment bag within which the main parachute is carried.
In one embodiment of the ripcord, a ripcord pin is operable with the closing member for removably securing the closing member and thus locking the flaps in the closed position. A ripcord line connected the pin is used for pulling the pin from engagement with the closing member for unlocking the flaps. In one embodiment, the ripcord line passes through an eyelet of the ripcord pin for slidable engagement therewith. A fixed end of the ripcord line is attached to the parachute container and a free end provided for manual pulling when releasing the ripcord pin from the closing member. With such an arrangement, the ripcord pin provides a pulley styled engagement with the ripcord line thus providing a mechanical advantage for the jumper when manually pulling the ripcord line. For additional safety and convenience to the jumper, one embodiment of the ripcord includes a left hand ripcord line and a right hand ripcord line with portions of the lines carried within a ripcord housing. An elastic cord extends between the free ends of each line for biasing handles attaches at each free end toward the ripcord housing.
To further prevent an out of sequence deployment of the drogue parachute and main parachute, by way of example, a safety pin carried by the bridle at a median location outside the parachute container is connected to the ripcord pin for preventing removal of the ripcord pin from the closing member. Tension on the bridle resulting from deployment of the drogue parachute pulls the safety pin from the ripcord pin thus allowing the ripcord line to pull the ripcord pin from the member only after the drogue parachute has been deployed.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a deployment bag is carried within the parachute container and is connected to the main parachute. The bridle is connected to the deployment bag. To meet one need earlier expressed, a kill line, carried by the bridle, is attached at one end to the deployment bag, as is the bridle itself, and at an opposing end to an apex of the drogue parachute, or deceleration styled parachute.
A method aspect of the present invention includes a method which provides safe deployment of a main parachute operable with a deceleration styled parachute. The method includes packing a main parachute in a parachute container and enclosing the packed main parachute therein with flaps folded in a closed position, attaching a proximal end of a bridle to the main parachute for deployment thereof, or alternatively to a parachute deployment bag within which the main parachute is carried, and attaching a distal end of the bridle to a deceleration styled parachute, such as a drogue parachute, carried outside the parachute container. The bridle extends outwardly from within the parachute container through the folded flaps for suspension of the parachute container by the deceleration styled parachute while a stop on the bridle is secured within the parachute container by the flaps in the closed position. The method further includes securing the flaps in the closed position with a closing member for holding the flaps in the closed position and securing the stop and the packed parachute within the parachute container, and connecting a ripcord to the closing member for unlocking the flaps and releasing the stop, thus permitting the bridle to pull the main parachute from the parachute container under a pulling force from the deceleration styled parachute, thus deploying the main parachute.
A method aspect of the invention further includes placing the deployment bag within a parachute container for enclosing the deployment bag within the parachute container when the flaps are in a closed position, attaching a proximal end of a bridle to the deployment bag and a distal end to the deceleration styled parachute carried outside the parachute container, attaching one end of a kill line to the deployment bag and an opposing end of the kill line to the deceleration styled parachute, locking the plurality of flaps in the closed position for securing the deployment bag and thus the parachute within the parachute container, deploying the deceleration styled parachute for altering a free falling condition, and unlocking the plurality of flaps for causing the bridle to pull the deployment bag from the parachute container to thus initiate deploying the main parachute. In one embodiment, the method includes attaching the kill line to the deployment at the same location as the bridle attachment to the deployment bag.
The method aspect of the invention further includes attaching a safety pin to the bridle at a location outside the parachute container and engaging a safety pin with the ripcord pin for preventing removal of the ripcord pin from the closing member, wherein tension on the bridle resulting from deployment of the deceleration styled parachute disengages the safety pin from the ripcord pin thus allowing the ripcord line to pull the ripcord pin from the closing member only after deployment of the deceleration parachute.